If you do not want to receive e-mails from us in the future, please unsubscribe here. .As debate intensifies over the cost of medicines, a new analysis found that prescription drug prices were on average 2.5 times more expensive in the U.S. than in 32 other countries. And that gap widened to 3.4 times costlier when looking specifically at brand-name medications. .TSCL agrees with Congressman Carter and Ranking Member Cummings, and we believe Congress must act before the end of this year to prevent price gouging in the pharmaceutical industry. We enthusiastically support the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, and we will advocate for it tirelessly in the months ahead. For updates on the bill's progress, visit the Legislative News section of our website, or follow us on Twitter. .The average CEO in the sample would pay enough Social Security revenues to cover the entire benefit of 45 retirees with an average benefit of ,800 for a year, or, boost the COLA of 22,428 retirees with average benefits in the first year. .In addition, eleven new cosponsors signed on to the Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures (PRIME) Act (S. 1123 and H.R. 2305) this week, bringing the total up to seventeen in the Senate and nineteen in the House. If signed into law, the bill would take a number of steps to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse within the two programs. It would enact stronger penalties, curb mistaken payments, phase out the "pay and chase" method, reduce physician identity theft, and improve data-sharing, among other things. The new cosponsors are Sens. Joe Manchin (WV) and Mike Johanns (NE), and Reps. Tim Griffin (AR-2), Diane Black (TN-6), Tammy Duckworth (IL-8), Ed Whitfield (KY-1), Reid Ribble (WI-8), Steve Womack (AR-3), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Tom Latham (IA-3), and Markwayne Mullin (OK-2). .Second, three new cosponsors signed on to the Social Security Expansion Act (H.R. 1114), bringing the total up to thirty-six. The new cosponsors are Representative Robert Brady (PA-1), Representative Albio Sires (NJ-8), and Representative Tim Ryan (OH-13). If adopted, H.R. 1114 would enhance Social Security benefits by basing COLAs on the CPI-E, increasing monthly benefits by around , improving the Special Minimum Benefit, applying the payroll tax to income above 0,000, and applying a 6.2 percent tax on investment income for wealthy individuals. .What would locality pay adjustments mean for your Social Security benefits? It's unclear, and likely difficult to estimate. Studies would have to be performed to compare locality - based pay adjustments to what future annual COLAs might be. Locality pay adjustments would be higher in areas where private sector pay scales are higher than those of federal workers, and lower in areas where pay scales are lower. The percentage of the annual locality pay increase would vary depending on where you live. Some retirees would receive a lower percentage of increase, or even no increase, while others a higher percentage. .If you choose to supply The Senior Citizens League with your postal address through our website, you may receive periodic mailings from us with information on new issues, products, services or upcoming events. If you do not wish to receive such mailings or if there is an inaccuracy in your name or address, please let us know by writing to us at the above address, or through our Contact Us page. Additionally, you may request that TSCL provide you with the personal information that it has about you over the past 12 months by writing to us at the above address, or through our Contact Us page. .Federal law requires that any reduction in payroll tax revenues going into the Social Security Trust Fund must be replaced dollar-for-dollar with general revenues from the U.S. Treasury. Consequently, a temporary extension of the payroll tax cut will have no effect on the Social Security Trust Fund.